Select Local Merchants

The lawn care industry has changed since Jim Zylstra, founder and owner of Tuff Turf Molebusters, started caring for yards in 1985. Since founding Tuff Turf in 1993, Zylstra has kept pace with technology while protecting the environment with eco-friendly, EPA-tested granular fertilizers and pesticides. Today, he custom-builds riding fertilizer machines, replacing them every other year with more advanced models, and customizes his fleet of trucks so that each is suited for a specific service. Tuff Turf’s staff of eight full-time technicians—which includes two full-time mole specialists and one gas technician—offer a full range of turf-protecting services such as lawn care, animal and insect control, and tree and shrub fertilization. Tuff Turf demonstrates a commitment to safety and sustainability by cultivating associations with GreenCare for Troops and the Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association.

Dan and David Dykstra have declared open season on those buzzing pests that leave itchy red welts or worse in their wake. Armed with backpack-mounted spray systems, they work with the crew at Mosquito Squad of Grand Rapids to take aim at airborne pests, leaving yards and campsites free of mosquitoes, ticks, and mayflies that only buzz the first three bars of Born in the U.S.A. By exterminating these bugs, they hope to prevent the ills they carry, such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease, and make being outside more enjoyable.

Bullseye Pest Defense’s approach to insect and rodent control works as a partnership between their technicians and clients. Before spraying areas with ecofriendly products or laying traps baited with Krispy Kreme donuts, a property survey is taken to identify conditions that lead to pest activity and breeding. Clients are educated on sanitation issues around the dwelling that may attract critters, such as ants, roaches, and mice, before techs seal off potential points of entry. Their services also take care of spider, bee, and house-elf infestations and vanquish mosquitos from recreational areas.

For more than four decades, Weed Man's licensed-and-trained lawn-beautifying experts have tended to local lawns with custom blends of fertilizer, environmentally sound pest-control solutions, and knowledge gleaned from both living and working in the community. Created exclusively for Weed Man, the technicians' slow-release granular fertilizer nurtures lawns over a period of several weeks, and seeding and aeration promote continued green growth. Advice that aims to assist with local lawn problems helps inform patrons online, illuminating seasonal troubles, gardening trends, and the astrological signs of various plants.

The technicians at Medich Pest Control draw on 30 years of experience when ridding homes and businesses of pests, which means they've seen their share of ants, mice, bees, and spiders. Their years of experience also mean they know the best way to eliminate pests. Their pest-control approach varies with the seasons and includes tactics such as laying out bait, applying repellent, and wiping away webs.